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Top Gluten-Free Menus In Philadelphia

August 13, 2014 8:00 AM

(Dave Magrogan in his new “Stella Rosa,” at 10th and Walnut Streets. Photo provided)

With more and more people following restricted diets, restaurants in Philadelphia are responding to the need to offer gluten-free options for diners. We brought you a list of the top gluten-free menus in Philadelphia last May, and we’re back with even more places to visit for delicious gluten-free food that is sure to satisfy.

Greek for “pure,” Agno embraces a fresh, casual approach to Mediterranean food. Using simple ingredients, 100-percent gluten free food is ordered Chipotle-style and composed to your specifications. Start by picking a salad, black beans or a gluten-free wrap as your base and then add chicken, steak, lamb meatballs, falafel, vegetables or salmon. Next, choose three toppings (like roasted carrots, pickled beets or cabbage) and finish with a sauce. Soups, pita chips and hummus, fruit salad and a selection of desserts round out the menu. All meat, poultry and produce are certified organic. Everything is marinated, grilled and prepared in-house daily. And recipes are developed to maximize their nutritional value while satisfying both the body and mind.

This Washington Square BYOB offers rustic Italian fare where just about everything is gluten free. Everything is clearly marked with appetizer options such as sautéed calamari and shrimp as well as mussels with Vidalia onions and sausage. All of the pasta dishes are available gluten-free and favorite entrees include the veal Melanzane and pan-seared ribeye in a mushroom sauce. All six varieties of pizza are made with dough from Still Riding® and are 100 percent gluten free. The sweet sausage and peppers and the arugula and prosciutto pizzas come highly recommended. Finish your meal with one of the homemade desserts, also gluten free.

Born in Venezuela, Chef Judith Suzzara-Campbell cooks her family’s traditional recipes, using only simple fresh ingredients. The vast majority of the dishes are gluten free, and those that typically aren’t can be prepared in separate pans and adapted to fit your dietary restrictions. The empanadas are among the most popular dishes to order. More accurately described as corn turnovers, they’re made without flour and stuffed with chicken, black beans, ham, cheese or shredded beef, then fried in corn oil. Known as the Chocolate Alchemist, Chef Suzzara-Campbell’s husband Robert Campbell, Jr. runs his chocolate laboratory and shop in the front of the restaurant. His gourmet truffles and hot chocolate are all gluten-free and made without wax, preservatives, refined sugar, soy or artificial colors.

Stella Rossa takes the work out of eating gluten free by offering an entire menu for those following the restricted diet. With cheese, meats, salads, appetizers, pizza, pastas and more entrees, the gluten-free menu is just about as robust as the standard dinner menu. Pasta dishes such as crab rossa and pesto cream are all served with brown rice penne, and there are 10 varieties of pizza made with gluten-free dough. With appetizers such as minestrone soup and steamed clams and entrees like grilled chicken parmigiana and jumbo shrimp scampi, Stella Rossa makes Italian favorites approachable for those eating gluten free.

Fans of The Couch Tomato will love its more upscale sister restaurant located above the casual café. While it’s mostly known for sliders and pizza, The Tomato Bistro is actually very gluten free-friendly. The menu is clearly marked, describing the changes that can be made to make a dish gluten-free. From salad dressings to slider buns and desserts, there are plenty of options. Even the pizza is available with white, wheat or gluten-free crust. Made with rice flour, tapioca flour and a few secret ingredients, the gluten-free pizza dough used at The Tomato Bistro was developed in 2011 by the restaurant’s pastry chef. To make it even easier for people with dietary restrictions, the menu also indicates dishes that are vegetarian and vegan.

Michelle Hein is the social media editor for a women’s fashion company in Bucks County by day and a self-proclaimed food and drink fanatic by night and weekend. She enjoys attending wine classes, trying new recipes in the kitchen and going to old favorites and new restaurants alike in the Bucks County and Philadelphia area. If the writing gig doesn’t pan out, she constantly dreams of owning her own bakery…perhaps connected to the restaurant/bar that her lawyer fiance would love to open.
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